Gordon Coutts

Gordon Coutts was born in Aberdeen in 1868. He began his art studies at the Glasgow School of Art before venturing south to study in London. He continued his studies at the Académie Julian, Paris, under Lefebvre, and the National Gallery School, Melbourne from 1891 to 1893. He won first prizes for "Painting Head from Life" in 1892 and 1893 and received an Honourable Mention for his Travelling Scholarship entry. In 1896 he moved to Sydney where he taught at the Art Society of New South Wales until 1899 when he returned to Europe. From 1890 to 1902 he was a regular exhibitor at the Victorian Artists' Society in Melbourne, and the Royal Art Society in Sydney.

Coutts met the English artist, Alice Grey whom he married. In 1902 they moved to San Francisco where he became a member and frequent exhibitor at the Bohemian Club. Always an inveterate traveller he spent time in Paris, Spain and Tangier, where he had a studio for many years. He received a gold medal at the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition in 1909 and at the Paris Salon in1913. Over the years he exhibtied regularly at the Royal Academy, the Paris salons and many American International Exhibitions.

Suffering from tuberculosis he moved to Palm Springs in 1924. He built a Moroccan style villa to recreate a favourite place in Tangier. Dar Marroc is still a well known local landmark and is now part of the Korakia boutique hotel. Winston Churchill and Sir John Lavery were among the many celebrities to visit Dar Marroc. Gordon Coutts died in Palm Springs in 1937